New 7″ Android Thrive Tablet from Toshiba

Toshiba has announced the new 7″ entry into their Thrive tablet family. The Thrive 7″ tablet has an AutoBrite LED-backlit multi-touch display with 1280X800 resolution. It’s powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra™2 Dual Core Mobile Processor, and it will run Android 3.2 (Honeycomb). You can see the dimensions on the above photo; the Thrive 7″ weighs less than a pound. You’ll be able to take photos with the on-board HD cameras, surf, read emails, play games, enjoy music, videos, and photos – everything the bigger Thrive tablets can do, but on a device small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. The Thrive 7″ is available in 16GB and 32GB models. The Thrive 7″ will be released later this year. Sign up to be notified when they’re available at the above link, and read the press release for more information, after the jump.

“This is a seven-inch tablet done right,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “The Thrive 7” Tablet is the first seven-inch tablet in the U.S. market to offer a true HD display that when combined with the selection of ports, premium audio, and a better, more robust Android experience make it a great choice for on-the-go consumers looking for a no-compromise tablet.”

Optimized for HD Entertainment The Thrive 7” Tablet’s LED backlit AutoBrite™ multi-touch display features a stunning 1280×800 resolution, putting bright and crisp images from movies, photos, books and games right in your hand. The tablet also incorporates Toshiba’s exclusive Adaptive Display and Resolution+®[iii] video enhancement technologies. The tablet includes stereo speakers tuned with sound enhancement technologies from Toshiba and SRS® Labs that deliver richer audio in music and movies with more natural sound and enhanced clarity.

Powered by Android™ 3.2 and the NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 platform, this tablet delivers a dual-core processor[iv] for blazing-fast performance for web browsing and multitasking, plus NVIDIA GeForce® graphics[v] for console quality gaming. A built-in Gyroscope offers hands-on motion control for the latest Android games. The tablet also includes two HD cameras: a five megapixel camera with an LED flash on the back for capturing high-quality pictures and video on the go, plus a two megapixel camera on the front for video chatting. Toshiba will offer the tablet in two configurations, 16GB or 32GB.

Compact, Lightweight Design The Thrive 7” Tablet weighs only 0.88 pounds2 and measures just under half an inch thin (0.47 inches), allowing it to fit easily into a bag or jacket. Not just lightweight and easy to carry, the tablet is built for handheld comfort and on-the-go durability, featuring Toshiba’s stylishly durable and slip-resistant Easy Grip finish.

Better Connected Designed for continuity with other digital devices, the Thrive 7” Tablet includes a selection of built-in ports, including Mini USB, Micro HDMI® and a Micro SD card slot, giving consumers the ability to easily sync and share their content. The tablet also includes Toshiba’s exclusive File Manager utility that gives users the power to easily move and manage files.

Offering convenient Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity, the Thrive 7” Tablet delivers all the essentials needed to stay connected at home or away. Users can browse the web with Adobe® Flash™ support, take advantage of maps and location-based apps with integrated GPS and enjoy the full suite of popular Google™ Mobile Service applications and Android apps via the Android Market™.

Availability The Thrive 7” Tablet will be available in December at major U.S. retailers, e-tailers and ToshibaDirect.com.

The Thrive may be my first foray into the Android world. With the smaller version being introduced I could face a difficult decision within the Thrive camp.

While the larger version has full sized ports the “micro” cables are cheap and easy to come by. A nice side by side feature comparison may be in order as I become more serious. I wonder if the battery is user serviceable on the smaller version?

Ultimately, it may come down to economics. I will probably hold off until November and hope to snag a great deal during the pre-holiday madness.

I'm currently working on a review of the Fitbit Charge 2. The Charge 2 is an updated version of the Fitbit Charge HR that I reviewed last year. It combines the smaller sized wrist wearable looks with the features of the Fitbit Surge. Stay tuned for my review coming soon.